Meningitis warning to students after rise in deadly strain

Vaccine: school leavers are being urged to protect themselves against meningitis
PA
Hannah Al-Othman17 August 2016

Health officials have warned school leavers to ensure they are vaccinated against meningitis following a steep rise in the number of cases of a deadly strain of the disease.

Figures from Public Health England (PHE) also show that on 2009 there were just 22 cases of MenW, but last year the figure had risen to 209.

PHE said young people going to university or college are particularly at risk of meningitis and septicaemia because they mix with so many other students, some of whom are unknowingly carrying the bacteria.

The Men ACWY vaccine protects against meningococcal A, C, W and Y diseases - the illnesses can be fatal and survivors are often left with life-changing disabilities.

The vaccination programme is being delivered to teenagers and first-time students, and GPs are writing to school leavers to encourage them to get vaccinated, whether they are going to university or not.

Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at PHE, said: "Since 2009, there has been a rapid increase in cases of MenW across England, with students particularly at risk.

"Protecting young people from this potentially deadly disease as they embark upon one of the most important periods of their lives is vitally important. The vaccination will save lives and prevent lifelong devastating disability."

Liz Brown, chief executive of the charity Meningitis Now, added: "Up to a quarter of students carry the bacteria that can cause meningitis compared to one in 10 of the general population. In the UK every university could experience at least one case of meningitis amongst its students within the first term.

"It's vital that those going to uni this autumn are not complacent about the threat of meningitis - we urge them to take up this lifesaving vaccine before they go."

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in